Can opener



Patented Nov. 17, 1936 TLPATENT oFFicE can OPENER Bohumil Polak, Prague, Czechoslovakia, assignor to Grodetzky & Polak, Prague, Czechoslovakia Application December 29, 1933, Serial No. 704,550. In Czechoslovakia and Germany November 11,

The present invention relates to a device for cutting open so-called tin cans, particularly those used for conserving foods, in which a swinging segment forming a knife is adapted to follow one side of the rim edge ofthe can driven by a toothed wheel so that the knife, when swung into position, will cut the top out of or away from the can.

It is an object of the invention to so construct the device that the segment knife, in cutting positlon, is vertical or nearly so, relative to the top of the can. Furthermore, the knife blade provided with a clamp or wedging check is rotatably mounted about a pin which is situated at right angles, or approximately so, to the axis of the can or parallel to the top of the can. The advantage is thereby achieved that in addition to the connection between the two parts, made possible by the supporting of the cutter on the frame, a special means is not nece'ssaryfor efiecting the insertion of the cutter in the direction per pendicular to the direction of cutting of the can, andthe clamping cheek arranged on the cutter can cooperate with the top of the can to be out, which is preferable in many edge formations of tin cans.

Further objects will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the can with the opener applied thereon and the latter in end view,

Fig. 2 is a similar view with the opener in side view inback of the can,

Fig. 3 is a. view similar to Fig. 1 of a modified construction, and

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig.2 of the modification according to Fig. 3. 1

In the construction of Figs. 1 and 2 the frame 10 or carrying member I is preferably bent at right angles to form the top arm 4 and again at right angles thereto to form the arm l6. The arm I6 is approximately parallel to the main section of the-frame in which the manual operator 2 is -15 rotatably mounted on one side and, connected to a toothed wheel 3 on the other side. The arm I6 is provided with a pin 30 on which the knife segment 20 is rotatably or pivotally mounted.

The knife or knife segment 20 is provided with a, cutting edge 5 on the lower or free end and a bent tongue H at right angles to and on one side of the segment. As shown on the drawing the segment in its cutting position is arranged at 55 right angles to the top of the can and in such 5 Claims. (01. 30-3) position abuts against a stop member 3| which is preferably a part of the frame I.

The device operates as follows: g In setting the opener on the can and rim 32 thereof the knife segment 20 will be in the posi- 5 tion indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2. By the use of a finger the knife segment is pushed down to the position indicated in full lines in Fig. 2 so that in such position the bent tongue II will wedge against the inner side of the rim 32 10 of the can as clearly indicated in Fig. l of the drawing. In this position the edge 5 is still-a slight distance above the top of the can, but the toothed wheel 3 is in contact with the undersurface of the rim 32. The manual operator 2 can- 15 not as yet be rotated for the reason that a small projecting tongue I2 is held in a suitable perforation in the frame I. In this position the can, with the opener thereon, may be sold to the trade, if desired. However, in order that the knife edge 20 5 shall pierce the top of the can, the manual operator 2 and wheel 3 are now rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow 0:, whereby, at the beginning of the rotation, the tongue I2 will be forced out of its perforation by the bending of 2 said tongue. Under such rotation of the manual operator the toothed wheel 3 is rotated, and due to contact on the under edge of the rim 32 the can opener is moved along in the direction indicated by the arrow 3!. 30

During the first part of the movement of the can opener, the knife segment 20 pivots arolmd its pin 3ll from the fullline positions indicated in Figs. 2 and 4 to the positions indicated by the dot-and-dash lines representing the knife seg- 35 ment 20 and its cutting edge 5 as having cut through the top of the can. Further rotational movement is impossible in view of the fact that the tongue IT or is now abuts against the stop member 3|. Upon further movement of the manual operator the knife is carried along with the frame, thereby cutting the top out of the i can, The movement of the knife segment 20 during the first part of the operation of the can openentakes place as a rotary motion around the pin 30 in the direction of the arrow 2.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the cutting edge 5 punches the can due to the wedging tongue I! on the knife segment which contacts and slides against the inside surface of the rim :2 of the can.

In the modification according to Figs. 3 and '4, the operation is the same except that the knife segment. 20 operates somewhat diflerently with regard to the wedging action to pierce the top of the can. To carry out this wed ins action the knife segment 20 is provided with a blunt edge l8 behind the cutting edge 5 which, in the full line position shown in Fig. 4, contacts with the top of the can. Upon rotation of the manual operator the edge l8 will wedge against the top of the can so that the segment 20 will rotate around the pin 30 and will not be carried along with the frame so that the cutting edge, 5 will pierce the top of the can. The tongue I9 merely acts as a stop.

The present invention is an improvement over the structure shown in: applicant's co-pe'nding application Serial No. 694,330, filed October 19, 1933. r

. I claim as my invention:-

1. A can opener comprising a frame member, and a knife segment to cut the can, which knife segment is pivotally mounted on the member, said segment having a cutting edge and an integral tongue on the segment bent from the edge thereof at right angles to the segment to wedge against the side of the rim of the can before starting the opening operation and before the cutting edge contacts with the top end of the can.

and to causethe cutting edge to pierce through the top of the can due to .the wedging action.

2. A device for opening tins, comprising a frame member, a knife segment provided on an approximately horizontal axle secured tothe frame member, means for applying the frame member on a tin, a shaft extending through the frame member, a toothed wheel at one end of the shaft, and a handle at the opposite end thereof, the toothed wheel being guided along the lower side of the rim of the tin when rotated by the handle so that the tin is cut when the knife is in cutting position, and the knife segment being rockable on its axle independently of producing a wedging action against a body part of the tin thereby holding the opener in a position of rest with the cutting edge of the knife distanced from the top of the tin, with the resultthat in starting the opener the. knife segment is automatically rocked from the said position of rest into the cutting position, in which it penetrates the top of the tin.

3. A device for opening tins accordingto claim 2, in which the clamping means is in the form of a cam-like blunt part on the knife segment.

4. A can opener comprising a frame member and a knife to cut the can, which knife is pivotally mounted on the member approximately parallel to the main portion of the frame memher, said knife having clamping means in the form of a tongue bent at right angles to the knife to wedge against the side of the rim of the can before starting the opening operation and before the knife contacts with the top end of the can and to cause the knife to pierce through the top of the can due to the wedging means during the opening operation.

5. A can opener comprising a frame member and a knife to cut the can, which knife is pivotally mounted on the memberapproximately parallel to the main portion of the frame mem-' her, said knife having clamping means in the form of a blunt edge to wedge against the top of the can before starting the opening operation and before the knife contacts with the top end of the can and to cause the knife to pierce through the top of the can due to the wedging means during the opening operation.

BOHUMIL PoLAK. 

